Monarch Mountain, CO, Report: No Crowds for the Holidays

Report from December 26, 2025

It has been a rough snow year for Colorado, but Monarch Mountain is still serving over 50 trails for skiers and riders to choose from.

Snowpack levels across the state are abysmal, and most terrain is limited to on-piste only.

I-70 resorts such as Breckenridge have reported just 41 inches of total snowfall this season.

Monarch is reporting a similarly measly 46 inches season total with a 15 inches base.

With that being said, Monarch easily provides the most enjoyable skiing experience in Colorado right now.

With all-natural snow, no crowds, and expert snow management, Monarch is offering some of the most terrain in the state.

Moguls, trees, and even cliffs under Garfield and Panorama are open to the public.

There are certainly areas of concern on certain trails, but this weekend’s storm should work wonders on the mountain.

I got up to Monarch the day after Christmas, which can often be the busiest ski day of the year.

I didn’t wait in a single line, though.

Crowds were minimal, and everyone was happy to just be out there.

Monarch is the type of place with good vibes only, even if there is some dirt showing.

My family had a great time skiing groomers while I occasionally popped into the trees and steeps.

KC cutoff and Sidewinder were some of the highlights yesterday for beginner groomed trails.

I also skied Tango, Cleanzer, and Ajax with firm snow and decent coverage.

After a long morning of fun under the sun, we sat down at the Sidewinder Saloon for lunch.

Monarch’s sit-down restaurant always provides a good refuel, and today was no exception.

I’ve always said the “San Luis Mac N’ Cheese” is one of the best on-mountain meals around.

We also thoroughly enjoyed the chicken wings and fried eggplant sandwich.

After lunch, I showed my family around the mountain a bit more before wrapping up.

Panorama’s advanced terrain is looking thin but still very skiable.

Skywalker and Quickdraw provided incredible views and solid skiing.

Overall, the skiing conditions are great, all things considered.

Monarch has worked hard to keep this amount of terrain open, and they will finally get some help from Mother Nature this weekend.

A small system is expected to make it’s way down towards the Central Mountains by Saturday night.

Check out the snow report and weather forecast below!

WEATHER FORECAST